Garter stocking



Dec. 14, 1937. E, J, MARTEL 2,102,369

GARTER STOCKING Filed March 5, 1936 Patented Dec. 14, 41937 UNiTEosTATEsPATENT oFFicE 2,162,369 GARTER STOGKING` Edgar J. Martel, Laconia, N. H.Application March 3, 1936,`` Serial No. 66,826

2 Claims.

This invention relates to stockings, socks or anklets of inelastic yarn,characterized by certain areas in which a fine elastic yarn is knittedin with the inelastic yarn so as to impart addi- 5 'tional resilience tosuch areas for certain purposes. More specifically. the inventionrelates to stockings having elastic areas located in such place orplaces as to be serviceable in holding up the stocking but which arearranged to be inconspicuous and to provide maximum comfort to thewearer. This application is a continuation in'part of my copendingapplication Serial No.

51,609', iiled November 26, 1935.

For a more complete disclosure of the invenl-5 tion, reference may behad to the description of various embodiments which follows, and to theillustration thereof on the drawing of which Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of the upper portion of a stocking, an elastic area being indicatedthereon.

Figures 2 to 9 are side elevational views of the upper portions 'ofstockings having one or more elastic areas arranged in diierent ways butfor a common chief purpose of supportin the stocking, sock or anklet.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of Figure 2, ona larger scale, showing a ribbed effect produced by the elastic yarn.

Figure 11 is a diagrammatic view of the 30 stitchesused in an elasticarea.

In knitting -a stocking embodying the present y invention, the usualinelastic yarn, such as cotton, silk, rayon or the like, may beemployed. In certain areas, such as those illustrated in various 35gures of the drawing, a fine elastic yarn is knitted in with theinelastic yarnso as to provide a greater degree oi.' elasticity in suchareas.

'I'he elastic yarn may be incorporated in the fabric in the mannerdescribed in my copend- 40 ing application Serial No. 42,251, ledSeptember 16, 1935; that is, the elastic yarn may be knitted in witheach stitch of the inelastic yarn in the areas in which elastic yarn isdesired, or the elastic yarn may be knitted on spaced needles 5 andfloated past the intervening needles. To that end, the elastic yarn maybe supplied to every needle or to spaced needles having between them,three, four, five yor more needles which donot takethe elastic yarn.

50 'I'he elastic yarn may be fed under a desired degree of tension toneedles which are spaced by several (i. e.v three or more) needles whichtake the inelastic yarn only. Thus, when the stocking or other fabric isremoved from the machine,

55 the stretches of elastic yarn between successive stitches contract,drawing the corresponding wales close together and giving the fabricanoticeable ribbed appearance, the size of the rib dependingv (otherfactors being the same) upon the number of wales skipped betweensuccessive 5 stitches of elastic yarn. When such fabric is sufficientlystretched in the direction of the courses, the ribs flatten. On thereverse side, the floated stretches of elastic yarn are each elongatedand under considerable tension. .In the ag- 10 gregate, these oatedstretches impart to the fabric a high degree of stretch and restoringforce.

An elastic area of this kind is diagrammatically indicated in Figure 11.As therein 15 shown, an inelastic yarn l5 may be knitted into regularcourses and wales to form the ordinary knitted fabric. 'In the elasticarea, an elastic yarnv I6 is knitted in with the inelastic yarn incertain stitches and omitted from the other stitches. As shown, theelastic yarn i6 is knitted into every course of stitches in the elasticarea, but into wales which are spaced by fourl wales past 4which theelastic yarn `is, oated.

These iioated portions of elastic-yarn contract when free from theneedle cylinder, causing the intervening areas of inelastic fabric togather into a ribbed formation as indicated in Figure 10. According tothe present invention, the elastic areas are disposed in the stocking insuch a man-V ner as to be effective in holding the stocking up in place,maintaining the stocking smooth and free from wrinkles, and tending toprevent runs. These elastic areas thus serve as garters for supportingthe stocking but are so arranged as not to have any portion thereofappearing at the front of the stocking.

As shown in Figure l, an elastic area 20, preferably narrow, is providedin the rear portion of the stocking, this area being spaced above theheel so as to come just above the calf and below the knee of the wearer.This serves to support the lower or shank portion of the stocking andmay cooperate with another elastic area 22 at or near the top of thestocking, i. e., above the knee of the wearer. In such case, the lowerarea 20 supports most of the stocking, the upper area 22 being calledupon only to support the upper portion of the stocking. Thus the supportof the stocking is divided betweenthese two elements. VIf desired, thelower element may be omitted as indicated in Figure 4, the support ofthe stocking being assumed by the upper garter element 22 which extendsonly part way around 55 the stocking so as not to portion of thestocking.

In Figure 5 elongated narrow areas 28 are provided at both the front andrear of the stocking. Similar areas in greater numbers are illustratedin Figure 6, these areas extending to the top of the stocking. Figure 7shows a plurality ot circular series of small spaced areas 82. Inknitting such areas, the elastic yarn is floated from one area to thenext as the knitting progresses. When the knitting operation iscompleted, the elastic yarns floating from area to area may be clippedor not as desired, according to the spacing between the areas. It, as inFig-I ures 6 and 7, the areas are suillciently close together to permitthe -oating yarns to remain without being in the way when the stockingis put on or taken ci! by the wearer. the elastic yarn extends all theway around the stocking, a very considerable portion of its length beingsubject to straight stretching in the portions which iloat betweensuccessive stitches and between successive elastic-areas. Moreover, theelastic areas may be mais narrower and more closely spaced than theexamples shown on the drawing by way appear at the front ofillustration, and in such areas the elastic yarn may, if desired, beknitted in with every stitch ot inelastic yarn and iloated from area toarea.

Figure 9 shows a narrow circular band u extending all the way around thestocking between the calf and the knee. Figure 8 shows a series of areas38 of progressively shorter length, each area being somewhat similar tothe area 22 illustrated in Figure 4.

Some oi' the various arrangements of elastic areas, such as thoseillustrated in Figures 4, 5, 6, '1, and 8, can be employed to advantagein socks and anklets as well as in full length stockings.

It is evident that many of these arrangements of elastic areas providenot only efllcient means forsupporting the stocking but also form noveland attractive designs.

I claim:-

1. In an larticle oi' hosiery, supporting means incorporated thereincomprising an elastic area in the leg portion thereof extending aroundapproximately the rear half only of the circumference, said elastic areacontaining knitted elastic yarn.

2. In an article of hosiery knitted of inelastic yarn, supporting meansincorporated therein so as to be between the calf and knee of thewearer, said means comprising an elastic area extending aroundapproximately the rear halfl only of the circumference, said area beingcharacterized by an elastic yarn knitted into certain stitches of thebasic yarn and oated past the other stitches.

EDGAR J. MARTEL.

